Trump announces Florida rally as he prepares to skip yet another GOP debate
Trump announces Florida rally as he prepares to skip yet another GOP debate
By The Associated Press
HIALEAH, Fla. — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Florida as counter-programming to the third Republican presidential primary debate, which he is once again choosing to skip.
Trump’s campaign says he will hold a rally the evening of Nov. 8th at a stadium in Hialeah, Florida about a half-hour drive from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, where his rivals will be meeting.
Trump has repeatedly said he sees no point in participating, given his commanding lead in the race.
Hialeah is an overwhelmingly Hispanic suburb, with more than 95% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino, according to the most recent census numbers. Most are Cuban or Cuban-American and speak Spanish at home.
Trump appears in court for civil trial Court police prepare for the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Trump and his associates are being charged with inflating assets in fraudulent financial statements. A ruling last week by a judge determined that Trump and his co-defendants are liable for “persistent and repeated” fraud. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Court police prepare for the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Trump and his associates are being charged with inflating assets in fraudulent financial statements. A ruling last week by a judge determined that Trump and his co-defendants are liable for “persistent and repeated” fraud. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial New York Police Department officers outside the New York State Supreme Court Building in New York, NY on Monday, October 2, 2023. Donald Trump will face off against New York Attorney General Letitia James starting today in a contentious civil trial that threatens his control over his real estate empire in the state. (Bing Gua/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Court police prepare for the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Trump and his associates are being charged with inflating assets in fraudulent financial statements. A ruling last week by a judge determined that Trump and his co-defendants are liable for “persistent and repeated” fraud. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Lawyers and others arrive at New York State Supreme Court for the start of the civil fraud trial against former President Donald Trump on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Trump and his associates are being charged with inflating assets in fraudulent financial statements. A ruling last week by a judge determined that Trump and his co-defendants are liable for “persistent and repeated” fraud. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial A box is carried as the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump is set to begin at New York State Supreme Court on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates after ruling that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Trump Tower in New York, US, on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. Donald Trump will face off against New York Attorney General Letitia James starting today in a contentious civil trial that threatens his control over his real estate empire in the state. (Michael Nagle,/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs Trump Tower on October 02, 2023 in New York City. (James Devaney/GC Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Alina Habba, lawyer of former president Donald Trump, arrives to court in New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against his client on October 2, 2023 in New York City. Donald Trump faces fresh legal danger as a civil fraud trial against the former president and two of his sons begins in New York, threatening the Republican frontrunner's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House with four criminal cases looming. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Attorney General Letitia James arrives for the start of the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump at New York State Supreme Court on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at New York State Supreme Court to start the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives for the start of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives for the start of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks outside New York Supreme Court ahead of former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial on October 2, 2023 in New York. New York Attorney General Letitia James said Monday that "justice will prevail" in a civil fraud trial set to kick off later in the morning against former US president Donald Trump and two of his sons. (John Lamparski/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former US President Donald Trump (C) sits with his attorneys inside the courtroom during his civil fraud case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, on October 2, 2023. Former US president Donald Trump was in court Monday for what he slammed as a "sham" civil fraud trial against him and two of his sons, with the case threatening the Republican's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House. (Brendan McDermid/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in the courtroom for the start of his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 02, 2023 in New York City. Former President Trump may be forced to sell off his properties after Justice Arthur Engoron canceled his business certificates and ruled that he committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire after being sued by Attorney General Letitia James, who is seeking $250 million in damages. The trial will determine how much he and his companies will be penalized for the fraud. (Brendan McDermid/Pool via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial New York Attorney General Letitia James (C) listens during former U.S. President Donald Trump's civil fraud case at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, on Oct. 2, 2023. Trump was in court Monday for what he slammed as a "sham" civil fraud trial against him and two of his sons, with the case threatening the Republican's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House. (Photo by BRENDAN MCDERMID / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN MCDERMID/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Brendan McDermid/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Protestors hold banners before the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him on October 2, 2023 in New York City. Donald Trump faces fresh legal danger as a civil fraud trial against the former president and two of his sons begins in New York, threatening the Republican frontrunner's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House with four criminal cases looming. (Kena Betan/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump appears in court for civil trial Protestors hold placards before the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him on October 2, 2023 in New York City. Donald Trump faces fresh legal danger as a civil fraud trial against the former president and two of his sons begins in New York, threatening the Republican frontrunner's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House with four criminal cases looming. (Kena Betan/AFP via Getty Images)
The choice of location reflects Republicans’ hopes that they will be able to continue to win over an increasing share of the Hispanic vote in the 2024 elections.
During 2022′s midterms, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s rivals, became the first Republican governor to win Miami-Dade county, which Hialeah is part of, in 20 years.
For Trump, a large crowd would also be another show of strength against DeSantis, who was long seen by his campaign as his most serious rival, but who is now struggling to maintain his second-place standing.
NBC will be hosting the November debate, which will require candidates to secure 4% of the vote in multiple polls and 70,000 unique donors to qualify.
Trump competed with the first debate with a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was posted that night on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. He spent the second in battleground Michigan, where he tried to win over auto workers and blue-collar voters by railing against President Joe Biden’s push for electric cars.
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Trump moved back to Florida last month after spending the summer at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.
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